Thu. May 31, 2012
Chicago, IL -
ChicagoPride.com, the Midwest's most visited online news and entertainment website for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, will kick off their tenth anniversary with a cocktail party that combines a fun toast to Pride month with an experience that allows guests to explore a decade of Pride through the lenses of the website's ever-present celebrity photographers.
The celebration, which coincides with the city's official Pride month, will be held in the heart of Chicago's "Boystown" neighborhood at Hydrate nightclub (3458 N. Halsted Street) on Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. The admission to the event is free, and early RSVP at http://www.chicagopride.com/ten is recommended.
The event will include a hosted bar by 4Rebels Vodka from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., a "live" red carpet with coverage by Gay Chicago TV, an opportunity to win free airfare for two from Orbitz.com and other giveaways throughout the night. The event is co-presented by Bud Light, 103.5 KISS FM and Hydrate nightclub.
Bringing a festive atmosphere to the event, special guest host Angi Taylor from the "Brotha Fred" morning show on 103.5 KISS FM will join ChicagoPride.com's Bill Pritchard from 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. along with the 103.5 KISS FM Beat Freaks. Adding to the excitement, this year's tantalizing Bud Boy competition finalists will make their first public appearance while DJ Phil DaBeatz keeps an upbeat energy with the hottest lights and sounds in the city all night long.
"This is the party to launch the summer. Fun, sexy and inspiring," said Ron Matthew Inawat, ChicagoPride.com president. "We're merging the exuberance and enthusiasm of Pride together with the journey of the community and historic significance of our ten year campaign."
Earlier this spring, through the "Embrace the Journey" campaign, ChicagoPride.com began adding special anniversary features to the website. New facets include a weekly history lesson with columnist Sukie de la Croix's "Gay Chicago Rewind" and photo retrospectives of the current week in past years.
"Inviting our visitors to explore the journey we've taken as a community is what this campaign is all about," S. James Long, ChicagoPride.com executive vice president. "We've been documenting that movement all along and through effective use of new media we've been able to transcend the geographical boundaries of a neighborhood and thereby increase communication between gay Chicagoans no matter their locale. We're proud to have been a part of this history making difference."
The anniversary campaign also highlights a collection of more than a quarter million ChicagoPride.com photos covering the last decade of the city's LGBT events. The first in a series of illustrative mosaics designed for the campaign will be exhibited at the party and features a colossal photo of the Lakeview neighborhood's rainbow pylon which is made up of nearly 20,000 photos from recent Chicago Pride festivals and parades.
"Through the years, our photographers have captured the wonderful faces, feelings, places and meanings of our vibrant LGBT community," Inawat added. "Informing, promoting and motivating our community is at the heart of it all. We invite you to embrace the journey."
An RSVP is recommended and is currently being accepted at http://www.chicagopride.com/ten. A suggested donation of $5 at the door will benefit the Legacy Project, a permanent memorial of bronze plaques affixed to the 22 rainbow pylons across Halsted Street and paying tribute to LGBT pioneers and leaders.
About ChicagoPride.com
ChicagoPride.com, part of the GoPride Network, is the leading online resource for Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and is the largest Midwest-based LGBT news and entertainment website. ChicagoPride.com connects organizations and businesses with the LGBT population and is ranked in the top 1% of all websites (Amazon.com/Alexa). ChicagoPride.com has received numerous accolades which include "best LGBT website" (Chicago Magazine) and is currently celebrating its tenth year of service informing, promoting and motivating the LGBT community.
About WKSC-FM (103.5 KISS FM)
103.5 KISS FM is a Mainstream Top 40 Contemporary Hit Radio station. The station reaches 2,247,100 total radio listeners every week. That's the highest number of listeners reached by any Chicago radio station! 103-5 KISS FM's core listeners are between the ages of 18 and 49, with an emphasis on Adults 18-34. Source for weekly listenership: May 2011 Chicago Metro Arbitron PPM, Persons 6+ Average Weekly Cume, Monday-Sunday 6am-12am.
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